• Source:JND
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After reports of Deepika Padukone's reason for stepping down Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s upcoming movie Spirit, the topic has become a subject of discussion in the industry. Her request for an 8-hour workday shift after becoming a new mother to her daughter Dua, did not sit well with the Spirit director. However, industry members have shown their support by mentioning the work hour patterns of other actors. Recently, filmmaker Siddharth P Malhotra joined this ongoing debate, stating that Deepika's request is not new, as Kajol and Rani Mukerji have done the same.

Siddharth P Malhotra, who delivered a masterpiece Maharaj starring Junaid Khan last year, cited the example of his earlier film Hichki starring Rani Mukerji. He revealed how the entire film was shot in just 28 eight-hour days. The director told IANS, “We finished Hichki, the whole film, in 28 eight-hour shifts. Whether it was Rani (Mukerji), the kids, the cameramen or the spot boy, everyone finished in that time."

For the unversed, Hichki was Rani’s first film after welcoming daughter Adira Chopra in December 2015. Siddharth also recalled how Rani confessed that during the film's first shoot day in 2016, she ended up howling in the car. She’d said, “For 14 months, I have been there in front of her face. So I kept asking myself, ‘Is it going to be worth it?'”

To weigh his support for Deepika's request, Siddharth opened up about how actors make their preference for working hours clear from the start. Citing his 2010 directorial debut We Are Family with Kajol, the director added, “It’s been happening for years. When I’d shot with Kajol in 2010, she used to do eight-hour shifts. She made it very clear she’d either come from 10 am to 6 pm, or 7 am to 2 pm, or for an eight-hour shift at night. Rani also did the same. Deepika isn’t demanding anything new."

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Reacting to Deepika's exit from Spirit movie due to this demand, Siddharth stated, “If I need an actor and am confident I can finish the film within those working hours, I’d work with them even for six hours a day. This isn’t actor-specific. People are just gaining publicity in the name of Deepika Padukone. She’s asking for family time, what wrong is she demanding?”

ALSO READ: ‘I Don’t See A Big Reason For Debate…’: Madhoo Shah Defends Deepika Padukone Amid Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit Controversy

The controversy between Deepika Padukone and Sandeep Reddy Vanga erupted after the actress' exit from Prabhas starrer Spirit and Triptii Dimri was introduced as the lead. Then, the filmmaker started the spat online with his cryptic post, however, Deepika hasn't commented on this matter yet. But indusrty members like Kajol, Ajay Devgn, Mani Ratnam, Neha Dhupia and others lent their support and called it a fair decision.